Fountain shaving brush



Sept. l2, 1944.

P. ROWAN FOUNTAIN SHAVING BRUSH Filed Feb. 19, 1942 Patented Sept. l2, 1944 FOUNTAIN SHAVING BRUSH Peyton Rowan, Anniston, Ala.

Application February 19, 1942, Serial No. 431,548

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a fountain shaving brush, and has for its objects the provision of a device of the character designated Which shall embody improved means for heating a soap and water mixture as it is fed to the brush; an improved feeding means for supplying the soap and water mixture to-the brush; means for keeping the mixture and the `bristles hot while in use; an improved pump element included in the feeding means; a combined feeding and warm massaging element in association with the brush; and a device which is simple of design and operation and easily manufactured.

Briefly, my invention comprises a shaving brush in which the handle portion is divided into two compartments, the outer of which, that is, the more remote from the brush, is adapted as a reservoir for holding a soap and Water mix-V ture, and the inner compartment houses a heating element. A feed tube extends from the outer compartment or reservoir through the inner to the brush and is surrounded in the inner compartment by the heating element, whereby the soap and Water mixture is heated on its Way to the brush. The end of the tube adjacent the brush is provided with a distributing head which also serves as a massaging element and which is heated by the heating element by conduction through the feed tube. In the reservoir is mounted a valve in the form of a plunger controlling the passage through the feed tube. Upon reciprocation, the plunger, in cooperation with lateral passages in the upper end of the feed tube, functions as a pump to force the soap and water mixture through the feed tube.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Fig, 1 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 2 is a plan View looking at the outer end of the brush handle;

Fig. 3 is a sectional vieW taken on the line III-111 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale through the plunger stem and taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper end of the plunger stem;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the upper end of the feed tube and plunger taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. '7;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII- VII of Fig.6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional viewtaken along the line IX-IX of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, my improved fountain brush embodies a casing I0 having in its upper part, or part more remote from the brush, a reservoir I I for a soap mixture, to which access is had for filling through an opening I2 provided With a pivotally mounted cover I3 which is adapted to be swung open to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2. Any suitable means may be employed to prevent the mixture in the reservoir II from leaking out around the cover I3 when the device is in use.

A metal feed tube I4 extends from the reservoir II down through the lower handle portion I6, which constitutes a heating chamber. The heating chamber 'I6 is separated from the reservoir I I by the bottom I'I of the reservoir, which acts as` a partition. The tube I4 has a central passage I8 which extends from the reservoir II through the heating chamber I6 to the lower end of the brush, where a metal head I9 is screwed on to the tube I4 and which pulls the reservoir I I down against the shoulder I5 on the casing I0, and holds it in place. A brush holding element 2I surrounds the lower end of the tube I4, and is held in place by the metallic head I9. Bristles 22 are carried by the brush holding element 2|, be-

l ing secured thereto in any suitable manner.

As shown in the drawing, the metallic head I9 is rounded off and cupped at its extremity to provide. a massaging elementewhich, as shown, is positioned centrally of the brush. A plurality of passages 23 are provided in the head I9, which passages lead from the passage I8 in the tube I4 to supply the soap mixture to the bristles 22. Surrounding the tube I4 in the heating chamber I6 is an electric heating element 24, which is of limited'heating capacity to avoid overheating of the device, and which has leads 25 mounted. in a suitable casing 26 on the side of the brush handle, and terminating in a plug 2l adapted to be inserted in any suitable electric outlet.

The upper end of the tube I4 isboredout to form a cylinder 28 having lateral admission ports The lower end of the cylinder 28 terminates in a conical valve seatL 3l` leading into the passage I8 of the tube I4. See Figs. 6 and 7. Fitting snugly in the cylinder 28, as shownY in Figs. 1 and '7, is a plunger, or piston 32. The lower end of the plunger 32 is shaped to correspond to the lower end 3| of the cylinder 28, whereby when the plunger is in its lowermost position it acts as a valve to close off communication with the passage I8 in the tube I 4. A plunger rod 33 is secured to the upper end of the plunger and projects outwardly through the cover 34 of the reservoir II. A spring 36 surrounding the rod 33 normally serves to hold the plunger down with the lower valve forming end on its seat 3| to prevent the escape of soap mixture.,

The plunger 32 may be reciprocated by means of a lever 31 loosely connected to the upper end of the rod 33 and pivoted at 38 on the cover 34; The outer end of .the lever 31 is provided with a thumb piece 30 whereby it may be pressed downwardly to raise the plunger, the spring 36 -forcing the plunger downwardly when pressure is relieved. It will be seen that when the plunger 32 is raised, soap mixture enters the cylinder 28 through the ports 29, to be forced downwardly through the passage I8 when` the 'plunger 32 moves downwardly.

In order that air may be admitted to the reservoir II when the plunger is being reciprocated, I provide the rod 33 near 'its upper end adjacent the cover 34 with a recess 4I which is normally beneath the cover, but which moves l'above the cover `34 on the upstroke of the plunger, and below the cover on the downstroke. 42 surrounds the plunger 33 at the `cover Y34 to .prevent leakage out of the reservoir II. -By the arrangement just described,a small amount of air is carried into the reservoir at each stroke of the plunger, which is sufficient to prevent a vacuum being formed in the reservoir II and to permit the plunger 32 to operate as a pump.

Preferably, the reservoir II, `tube I4, cylinder 28, and distributing head I9 are all made of` metal and are surrounded by .a casing 43 made from a suitable plastic material, such as the well known phenolic or urea resins. A suitable layer 44 of insulation preferably separates the outer casing A43 from the reservoir I I and the heating elements 24 to prevent excess transfer of `heat through the walls of the device.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised a fountain brush embodying an improved feeding means, an improved :meansfor heating the mixture being supplied to the brush,

and an improved distributing and massaging head for applying the mixture to the users face.

While I have shown -my invention in but one form, it will be 'obvious to those skilled in the art that itis not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, Iwithout departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire; therefore, that only such limitations shall be .placed thereupon as are specifically set forth inthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fountain shaving brush, a hollow hanldle divided by a transverse partition toprovide A washer the heating chamber to the brush, heating means in the heating chamber surrounding the feed tube, a cylinder on the end of the feed tube in the reservoir and having lateral inlet ports, a Valve seat in the end of the cylinder at the entrance to the feed tube, a reciprocable plunger fitting snugly in the cylinder for forcing soap mixture through the feed tube, and manually operable means to reciprocate the plunger.

3. In a fountain shaving brush, a hollow handle-a transverse partition in the handle dividing it into a soap mixture reservoir remote from the brush and a heating chamber adjacent the brush,

'a feed tube extending from the reservoir through the heating chamber to the brush, heating means in the heating chamber surrounding the feed tube, a cylinder on the end of the feed tube in the reservoir and having lateral inlet ports, a valve seat in the end of the cylinder at the entrance to the feed tube, a reciprocable plunger tting snugly in the cylinder for forcing soap mixture through the feed tube, manually operable means to reciprocate the plunger, and means to admit limited amounts of air to the reservoir at eachstroke of the plunger.

4. In a fountain shaving brush, a hollow handle, a transverse partition in the handle dividing it into a soap mixture reservoir remote from the brush and a heating chamber adjacent the brush, heating means in the heating chamber, a feed tube extending from the reservoir through the heating-chamber, a brush surrounding the end of the feed tube, means for forcing limited amounts of the soap mixture through the feed tube to the brush, and a distributing head secured to the end of the feed tube centrally of the brush and having laterally extending passages therein communicating with the feed tube,.said distribution head terminating in a rounded cupped end adapted to massage the face and rub the lather formed by the soap mixture into the pores of the skin.

5. In a fountain shaving brush, a hollow handle, a transverse partition in -the handle dividing it rinto a 4soap mixture reservoir remote from the brush and a heating chamber adjacent "the brush,

heating means .in the heating chamber, a feed 'tube extending from the reservoir through the heating chamber, a brush surrounding the end of Ythe feed tube, means for forcing limited amounts of the soap mixture .through the feed tube to the brush,` and-.a distributing Yhead-.screwed on to the end of the feed tube and holding the brush in place thereon, said distributing head having lateral passages therein communicating with the feed tube.

6. In a fountain shaving brush, a hollow handle, a transverse partition in the handle dividing it into a soap mixture reservoir remote from .the brush and a heating chamber adjacent the brush, heating `means in the heating chamber, ,a feed tube extending from the reservoir through the heating chamber, a brush surrounding the end of the feed tube, means for forcing limited amounts of the soap mixture through the feed tube lt'o'the brush, a relatively hard distributing and massaging element screwed onto the outer end of the feed tube ina position to be heated by theheating element and serving to maintain thefsoap mixture `hot as it is fed to the brush.

PEYTON ROWAN. 

